White Tiger
by Skye1963
Summary: When John and Dean goes on a dangerous hunt, they leave Sammy at home to worry.  Sammy finds a surprising way to protect his family.


_I don't own Supernatural or any of the characters. This pleasure belongs to Eric Kripke_

White Tiger

When Sam was three, Pastor Jim gave him a plush toy in the shape of a white tiger for his birthday. Jim told the toddler that the tiger would always protect him when he was scared. Sam would fall asleep only if he had the tiger in his tiny hands. When Sam was eight, John decided he was too old to have a plush toy to sleep with and tried to throw the white tiger away. That night was the first time Sam had a nightmare so bad his brother couldn't wake him up. It was only when John retrieved the tiger and put it in his sobbing son's hands that Sam finally woke up. John tried twice more to get Sam to give up the tiger and both times Sam had extremely bad nightmares so John finally gave up and Sam kept the tiger. It wasn't until Sam was ten that John found out why his son kept the tiger for so many years.

Bobby had called with information about a pack of werewolves that were terrorizing a small town in Oregon. He said that he, Jim, and Nick were going after them but they needed at least two more to help. John said that he and Dean would go on the hunt with the others. It was only the third time that Dean would be hunting and John made sure that he knew all about werewolves, how they could be killed, how they fed and on what, and how fast they were. When they were ready, they stopped at a motel and got Sam situated with food and instructions to put the salt lines down and to stay in the room. Sam started to cry and beg his father to let him go with them, even if it was to just stay in the car but John was adamant, Sam was to stay behind. That just made Sam cry harder. He was afraid that something bad was going to happen to his dad and Dean.

"Sammy, it'll be okay. We are going to kick some werewolves' a** and be back before you know it," soothed Dean.

"Don't worry, Sam. There are three other hunters with us. We'll be okay," John said.

Sam just nodded. He knew something was going to happen but couldn't get anyone to believe him. As he watched his family disappear out the door, tears began to fall faster from his eyes. With tears blurring his sight, he locked the door and put the salt lines down then he got ready for bed. Without his brother there, Sam didn't want to eat or watch t.v., so he got his tiger out of his duffle and climbed into bed.

"Please watch over my family and keep them safe," he prayed. Then Sam rolled into a ball, stuck his thumb in his mouth (something he still did when he was upset) and clutching the tiger, he fell into an uneasy sleep. He was so deeply asleep, he didn't see the glow around his tiger.

It wasn't just two or three werewolves, but five and they had surrounded the hunters. Nick had screamed when two of them grabbed him and tore him apart in front of Dean. Dean was so shocked that he now stood frozen to the ground waiting to be next. When the other hunters saw that Dean was in danger, they tried to aim at the incoming werewolves but their shots were blocked by the teen. John shouted to Dean to hit the deck but the kid was too far gone to hear his father. Suddenly, a roar tore through the night and shocked not only the hunters but the werewolves as well.

A white tiger appeared from the trees to tackle the werewolves closest to Dean and tore them apart. Next it turned its attention to the other three and made quick work of them. It wasn't until all the wolves were in pieces that it noticed the hunters. Huffing, it cautiously approached Dean to herd him closer to his father. Then it did the same to Bobby and Jim, all the while keeping an eye on their weapons. Usually, they wouldn't have hesitated to shoot the animal but Jim stopped them, noticing the collar around its neck. The tiger next sniffed each hunter as though checking them for injuries. It saw that Dean was in shock and tried to give him comfort by licking his face and sticking its head under his hand. Dean shook but started to automatically pet the tiger.

It stayed by Dean's side while the other hunters salted and burned the corpses then it escorted them to their vehicles. After they were safe, the tiger turned and disappeared into the tree line.

When the hunters got back to the motel, they quietly went to the room of the Winchesters. John and Dean were very worried about their youngest and wanted to check up on him. They found Sam sleeping quietly, on his back with his tiger firmly in his grasp. John carded his son's hair and Dean got ready for bed. Instead of getting in his own bed, he curled up next to Sam and fell into a deep sleep.

The older hunters gathered near the table in the kitchenette to discuss that night's hunt.

"What the hell was that out there?" Bobby wondered out loud.

"Yeah, I never heard of a weretiger before," John said.

Jim sat quietly, gathering his thoughts. He remembered when he gave the stuffed animal to Sam and what he had said to him. There had always been something intense and different about Sammy, especially when it came to the safety of his family. Ever since he learned about the supernatural world, Sam had done all he could do to keep John and Dean safe. His Latin was flawless and his research was impeccable. Jim knew that Sam had saved countless people, especially John and Dean, by researching every hunt. If there was a way to do it, Sam would have been on this hunt to watch their backs.

"John was Sam very worried about this hunt?" questioned Jim.

"Yes. I never saw him so worried before," answered John.

"Then I think I know where the tiger came from," Jim said. "Before I tell you, I want you to understand that this is something usually twins can do. There had been case studies where twins could feel each other's pain and in some cases see when one twin was sick or in an accident. It has to do with the deep bond they develop while in the womb. We've all seen how close the boys are. They can sense when one is not feeling good or is hurt. I believe that the tiger was a physical manifestation of their bond."

Jim paused and watched his friends' reactions. When he felt they were ready to hear what he had to say without judgment, he continued.

"I believe that Sam was so worried about you and Dean that he was able to manifest a dream animal to help. Since he wasn't there physically, he went to the site mentally in the shape of something he believed was a protector. That white tiger was Sam."

John and Bobby looked at Jim in shock. Sure, they knew that Sam was overprotective when it came to Dean, but never thought it would extend to them. They didn't realize to what extent that he would go to protect his family, until now. While Jim knew that Bobby would be more accepting of this turn of events, he was worried about John. John had a way of seeing things in black and white. Anything that seemed supernatural to him was to be eliminated. Jim's worries, though, were put to rest.

"That little rug rat! It figures that since I told him to stay, he would find a way around my order. Thank God he did, too. I almost lost Dean," John said, smiling. "I hope he doesn't make this a habit, though. Not many hunters would understand and might try to hurt him. I couldn't be prouder of him."

John looked at his friends' faces and laughed. "What! Don't you think I knew about the bond between my sons? Dean has what he calls his 'Sam-dar'. Why wouldn't Sam have...what would you call it...his Dean Protection System. They have always protected each other and I am damned proud of it!"

With that said, John strolled over to his boys and sat on the bed next to them. Bobby and Jim knew that he would stay there for the rest of the night. Silently, they looked at each other and smiled. The Winchesters never failed to surprise them. They sat down and got ready to keep a vigil with John over these two special boys.

_Sam smiled in his sleep. He knew his family was safe and he thanked God for that._


End file.
